Australia Day Ambassador for West Wimmera Shire

West Wimmera Shire has announced the identity of its Australia Day Ambassador for 2018.

"We are delighted to be welcoming Mr Dale Potter OAM to our Shire on Australia Day" said Mayor Jodie Pretlove.

Dale is a retired Police Officer who served Victoria Police for 28 years across all areas of policing, and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2017 for his service to the community.

He also worked for the Australian Federal Police for more than two years as a member of the International Deployment Group, and with the United Nations humanitarian agencies in initial disaster response.

"Dale's roles in international peace and stability in the Solomon Islands and Cyprus have been recognised with the Police Overseas Service Medal (with Clasps of Cyprus and the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, RAMSI), and the United Nations Medal to Cyprus" said Mayor Pretlove.

He received the Australian Federal Police Commissioner's Group Citation for Hazardous Overseas Service, for his role in evacuating Australian Citizens from the war zone in Beirut in Lebanon during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in 2006.

Dale has extensive experience in disaster response and has twice served with the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team as the Civil-Military Coordinator for the cyclone responses in Vanuatu and Fiji in 2015-2016. He has also been recognised with the National Emergency Medal for his significant service in first response efforts in Marysville, following the Black Saturday bushfire disasters in Victoria in 2009.

He currently trains government agencies and humanitarian organisations in Crisis and Humanitarian Response and Safety and Security in Hostile Environments.

"We are privileged to have such a dedicated and highly decorated individual as our Australia Day Ambassador" said Mayor Pretlove.

Mr Potter will attend and speak at the Edenhope Australia Day event (8am at Henley Park) and the Harrow Australia Day event (11.30am at Johnny Mullagh Reserve) on Friday 26 January 2018.